Lesson seeds are ideas that can be used to build a lesson aligned to the CCSS. Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction. When developing lessons from these seeds,
teachers must consider the needs of all learners. It is also important to build checkpoints into the lessons where appropriate formative assessment will inform a teachers instructional pacing and delivery.

Lesson Plan 2 - Day 12

OVERVIEW OF LESSON

Students will interpret stage directions from The Miracle Worker in order to explain how these directions affect dialogue, characters, and plot.

TEACHER PLANNING, PREPARATION, AND MATERIALS

Apply the CCSS triangle for text complexity and the Maryland Qualitative and Reader and Task tools to determine appropriate placement. The Lexile level is unavailable for a play. However, due to the complex sentence structure, sophisticated vocabulary, and use of numerous literary devices, the play is determined to be sufficiently complex.

Plan with UDL in mind, e.g.,

Reduce the amount of narrative students are required to complete.

Use Internet access to clarify the definitions of the literary terms stage directions, mood, and tone at www.dictionary.com

Provide student with index cards with the original stage directions written on them. Have students work to place the stage direction in its correct location within the narrative rather than have students create their own.

Complete the chart of similarities and differences as a class.

Have students orally share responses to the final question rather than compose a response.

Allow students to orally answer or create a Voice Thread rather than a written response.

Provide a graphic organizer for students to use while composing the written response.

Have students compose responses to the assessment using Microsoft Word or other word processing program.

Have students complete a chart based on their interpretation of pp. 89 – 89 to the end of Act II rather than composing a paragraph length response.*

Differentiate the lesson for English Language Learners.

Reduce the amount of narrative students are required to complete.

Provide student with index cards with the original stage directions written on them. Have students work to place the stage direction in its correct location within the narrative rather than have students create their own.

Have students orally share responses to the final question rather than compose a response.

Allow students to orally answer or create a Voice Thread rather than a written response.

Provide a graphic organizer for students to use while composing the written response.
Have students complete a chart based on their interpretation of pp. 89 – to the end of Act II rather than composing a paragraph length response.

Apply extension or enrichment strategies to differentiate the lesson for advanced/gifted and talented students, e.g.

IMPORTANT NOTE: No text model or website referenced in this unit has undergone a review. Before using any of these materials, local school systems should conduct a formal approval review of these materials to determine their appropriateness. Teacher should always adhere to any Acceptable Use Policy enforced by their local school system.

LESSON PROCEDURE

Post the following question(s) and have students respond using information from their previous reading:

What is the "original sin" in Annie's opinion? (p. 82) Do you agree or disagree with her view? Why?

Teachers could use this question to engage students in a brief session of Philosophical Chairs [see LS. 10 for specific directions regarding this teaching strategy] in which students orally debate the question.)

What agreement has Annie made with the Keller's?

Why does Annie refuse to give up on Helen? How do you know this?

Share and discuss student ideas and responses to the questions. Clarify any misconceptions.

Direct students to skim the text of Acts I and II of the play to determine what form of text the majority of their reading has entailed: stage directions or dialogue.

Prepare a section of the text (pages 76-79), without stage directions, for students to read and enter their own stage directions. (from ANNIE: I – want complete charge of her. To ANNIE: ___ Do you?)

Group and/or pair students to complete the prepared section of the text.

Share several student examples of the text with their own stage directions inserted.

Have students compare their stage directions to those of the original text.

Have students orally share similarities and differences between their stage directions and those of the original text.

Have students respond to the following prompt:

Why are stage directions an essential component of the dramatic narrative? Use examples from your notes and the original text to support your ideas.

Explain to students that the stage directions in this play are critical not only to describe the setting (and establishing the mood) for the reader, but also serve an important role in advancing the plot and developing the characters.

Introduce the following vocabulary words that will be encountered in The Miracle Worker within this lesson: paroxysm, contempt, intractably, solicitude, and diminutive.

Arrange students into five groups. Have students read aloud pgs. 81 – 89 (You can go to bed now, you've earned your sleep. Thank you.) as a small group. Instruct students to pay close attention to the stage directions as they are reading.

Assign a different section (between pages 81 and 89) to each group. Students should use examples from the assigned text to support their answers to each of the following questions.

How does the lighting affect the characters words and/or actions?

How does the setting of the situation contribute to the development of the plot?

How does the character's movement on stage support the character's words?

How do the props and costumes assist a reader's understanding of the play?

How do the character's words work to establish tone or mood?

How do lighting and/or sound effects alter the mood?

If a character speaks in a situation other than a conversation, what is the effect on the play's action?

In sequential order, review answers and ideas from each group based on their assigned portion of text.

Direct students to reread pp. 89 – the end of Act II.

Assessment: Have students respond to the following question as a journal entry or exit ticket:

Explain how the stage directions on pp. 89-end of Act II affect the dialogue, characters, and the development of the plot. In your response, use details and examples from the text to support your explanation.

Extension suggestion: Consider using different scenarios (spies regarding information about an assignment, a parent addressing a child about an incident, etc.) to have students add stage directions to the following dialogue:

____: You're early. ______________________________

____: Is that a problem? ______________________________

____: Take a seat. ______________________________

____: So why am I here? ______________________________

____: Don't you know why? ______________________________

____: I'm not sure. ______________________________

____: Here, take this. ______________________________

____: I hope it's not what I think it is. ______________________________

Plan to have several students share and/or perform their scenes with a partner for the class during the next lesson.

CCSS STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

Reading: Literature

RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning

Writing

W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking & Listening

SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

SL.7.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 7 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)